Life in Texas Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Today in Texas History – April 6

From the Annals of the Artists – In 1911, friends of sculptor Elisabet Ney founded the Texas Fine Arts Association and the Elisabet Ney Museum to honor the late artist. Ney had immigrated to Texas in 1872 and was one of the first professional sculptors in the state. In 1892, Ney built her impressive house and studio, Formosa, in the Hyde Park area of Austin. Ney is famous for creating the sculptures of Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston on display at the Capitol and the tomb of Confederate Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston at the Texas State Cemetery. After her death in 1907, her friends Bride Neill Taylor, Julia Pease, Emma Cherry, and Emma Kyle Burleson decided to use Formosa as a the annual meeting place for the new association and as a gallery for its exhibitions. In 1941 the city of Austin assumed ownership of the Elizabeth Ney Museum. It remains a popular tourist destination to this day.